Trade-Ya: Modern Bartering

In a sluggish economy, bartering is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to cash for businesses and individuals. Indeed, the practice of our pre-currency forefathers is coming back with such a vengeance that there are several websites dedicated to facilitating the practice. [Just like the kind great-great-great grandma used]. (more…)

U.S. Economy De-Evolving: Rebuilding The Industrial Base

Politicians love to preach about the virtues of an industrial base. They do it for three reasons: Industrial firms are great sources of subsidies and political patronage, such patronage buys support from organized labor union voting blocks, and it actually does make sense for countries to produce real things of value. Since WWII America’s industry […]

America's Effective Tax Burden: A Nation of Serfs

This article is dedicated to the growing segment of American society that is awakening to the ideas that we are increasingly overworked and overtaxed. My goal is to determine an effective tax burden on the average middle-class American. I will leave it to the reader to judge relative severity of the burden as measured against […]

Feelin' Thrifty

Since I, along with most people, am feeling thrifty, I searched high and low for thrifty tips. Here are some of my favorite websites dedicated to saving a few more pennies. (more…)

Ch-ch-ch-changes: Netting your niche

In this, the winter of our economic discontent, its not surprising to see the number of people who are finding an opportunity to reinvent. Sure, sometimes it has more to do with just an itching to try something new than anything. But more often than not, this decision is terror-driven or security-driven. Ether way, once […]

“OK, so government isn’t a monster; and it isn’t a building, and it’s not politicians…it’s something else.” Government is merely a group of people who think they’re special enough to order around other adults, take their money, and commit organized violence. You cannot delegate powers to a group of other people to do things that […]

The capital structure of US real estate assets has been in a long process of change. By subsidizing real estate and making mortgage debt artificially cheaper than equity capital, the US government has been effectively transferring real estate ownership from individuals to lending institutions and the Federal Reserve. Here’s how this game has been unfolding, […]

The White House is urging Congress to limit, or cut, the once untouchable tax break for mortgage interest. In traditional class warfare parlance, the White House cap on mortgage interest deductions will fall only upon the wealthy. Let’s not drink the Obama Kool-Aid – the effects of this legislative move will impact everyone. The Obama […]

Japans Home Ec classes are a tad more modern than ours. Instead of egg babies, they have robot babies. These are especially popular now, as Japan is trying to encourage its females to have babies. You see, the once booming Japan is suffering dire economic consequences because their population is at an all time low, […]

For everyone that has a Facebook account, the status updates can be a powerful tool to get your opinions across to your friends-sometimes I just can’t believe what some people say! A closet socialist friend of mine posted a congratulatory post about Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize… (more…)

The shackles of serfdom are being silently fastened to America. Every dollar Congress spends beyond its budget, every Federal Reserve Note printed, every tax, regulation, and government intrusion into our lives renders us less free. Ever wonder why it feels like it’s increasingly difficult to make ends meet? Remember the days when one spouse could […]

B Y LAWRENCE W. R E E D These are the times that try mens souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not […]